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How to bring your holiday back home

By Leonardo Pizarro, 20 January 2017

Going on holiday is amazing. You get to visit new places, possibly stay at a hotel and have someone else cook and clean for a change. But most importantly, you get to escape from home and the daily monotonous routine it might entail.

We simply can’t get enough of a nice relaxing holiday, away from everyday stress. Unfortunately, we all have to return home once it’s finished and get back to reality. However there’s no need to despair yet; here are some suggestions on how you can sustain that holiday cheer.

Declutter the place

Have you noticed how most hotels, apartments and villas are kept deliberately minimal? The moment you first enter and notice how neat and tidy the room is, giving you a sense of freedom and space. The trick is to choose your furniture carefully, keeping it modern and ideally with compartments for hidden storage use—this way you can hide all that clutter within the furniture, and it will still maintain that sleek, spacious feel. By removing all that clutter, not only will it give you more room to breathe and freedom to walk around, but you will begin paying more attention to smaller details in the room. For this reason, it is a good idea to invest in some wall art and stylish table lamps for relaxing, ambient lighting.

Your home can still smell like holiday

Why do holidays smell so good? Do not underestimate the power that certain scents can have on you. Certain smells remind us of summer holidays, while others take us back to our childhood. When you return from a holiday you are still tuned in to the sensory overload of all those wonderful memories, so why not give your nose a good dose of holiday cheer? You can get yourself a scented candle or an aroma diffuser with some essential oils to attain the desired summer smells. Lavender is a good choice as it is one of the most versatile of essential oils and is known to improve the overall quality of sleep. Eucalyptus is a great alternative for a fresh smell and it has antibacterial properties, making it a perfect addition to your shower. With a little bit of sea salt, you can turn your shower into a trip to the spa. Alternatively, you can create your own diffuser by simmering a pot of citrus slices and adding some drops of vanilla. It will fill your home with a fresh citrusy summer smell and the extra vanilla is said to inspire happiness and relaxation.

The feeling of being far away

It is not just the scent that matters, our sense of touch can trigger positive feelings too. Whether it is silky smooth linen or fluffy cushions covers, furnish your place with fabrics that remind you of your perfect holiday. In the UK, it is quite hard to remind ourselves of the amazing summer holiday we had. So, bring in the sunshine and keep it fresh by decorating your home with seasonal mementos like sea shells and plant pots. You can also try decorating your home with cosy textiles and warm colours to invoke that cosy feeling.

Turn your bedroom into a master suite

If you are going away on a holiday and stay at a hotel or B&B, you will most likely have a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom. As you enter the room, you get a sense of relaxation mixed with delight as you see the bed neatly made, the decoration spot-on and perhaps a little treat on your pillow. So, it might be worthwhile trying to replicate that feeling by treating yourself to a nice big duvet that wouldn’t look out of place in a bespoke hotel. Set the mood by adding some extra flowers or candles on the side and dim the lights if possible. If you want to go the extra mile, splash out on some chocolates to leave by the side of your bed, reminiscent of the little holiday luxuries.

Try following these suggestions and you will be surprised by how much of a difference it makes after returning from a heavy day at work.